Protecting your personal data is of great importance to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). We want our users to know what personal data the BMEL is processing, when it is doing so and for what purpose.

The BMEL provides content on the Internet in order to inform the public about the ministry's activities. We do not process personal data beyond what is necessary. What personal data we process at what time, for what purpose and on which legal basis will depend greatly on the type of service you are using.

We have taken technical and organisational measures to ensure that both we and our external service providers comply with the provisions governing data protection.

The processing of personal data at the ministry is handled in accordance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) and the Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz/BDSG).

Basic information

Responsibility and Data Protection Officer

Responsibility for the processing of personal data lies with the
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture
Telephone: +49 30 / 1 85 29 - 0
Telefax: +49 30 / 1 85 29 - 42 62
E-mail: poststelle@bmel.bund.de

Addresses

Bonn Office

Visitor's address:
Rochusstraße 1, 53123 Bonn
Postal address: P.O. Box 14 02 70, 53107 Bonn

Telephone: +49 228 / 9 95 29 - 0
Telefax: +49 228 / 9 95 29 - 42 62

Berlin Office

Visitor's address:
Wilhelmstraße 54, 10117 Berlin
Postal address: 11055 Berlin

Telephone: +49 30 / 1 85 29 - 0
Telefax: +49 30 / 1 85 29 - 42 62

If you have any specific questions about the protection of your personal data, please contact the Data Protection Officer at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture: 

P.O. Box 14 02 70
53107 Bonn
E-mail: bds@bmel.bund.de

Personal Data

‘Personal data’ comprise any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. An identifiable natural person is someone who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, and/or an online identifier.

Legislation governing the processing of personal data

The BMEL processes personal data as it carries out the tasks of public interest that are assigned to it. These duties particularly include public relations work, which also involves providing information for the public on this website. The processing of personal data in this context is based on Article 6 (1) (e) EU GDPR in conjunction with Section 3 of the Federal Data Protection Act.

Insofar as the processing of personal data is required in order to fulfil a legal obligation, the legal basis is Article 6 (1) (c) EU GDPR in conjunction with the relevant legal provision under which the legal obligation arises.

Insofar as the consent of data subjects to process their personal data is required, this is based on Article 6 (1) (a) EU GDPR.

The processing of personal data is required for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party is based on Article 6 (1) (b) EU GDPR. This also applies to processing operations necessary for the implementation of pre-contractual measures.

In the event that vital interests of the data subject or another natural person make it necessary to process personal data, this is based on Article 6 (1) (d) EU GDPR.

No automated decision making takes place.

Data processing in connection with visits to this website

Data capturing

Whenever a user accesses our website and whenever a file is accessed, data relating to this is temporarily processed in a log file.

More specifically, the following data are stored for every single access/download:

• Date and time (time stamp) as well as the IP address of the device or server used;
• Details of the request and target address (log version, HTTP method, referrer, user-agent string);
• Name of the file accessed, volume of data transferred (URL including query string, file size in byte), and
• notification as to whether the request was successful (HTTP status code).

We are obliged under Article 6 (1) (e) EU GDPR, in conjunction with Section 5 of the Act on the Federal Office for Information Security, to store data that are necessary to protect the ministry’s Internet infrastructure and the federal communications technology system from attack; data must be stored beyond the time of your visit. This data are analysed and may be used for legal and criminal proceedings in the event of an attack on the communications technology system. The data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer needed for the intended purpose.

Data collected from visits to the ministry’s website and stored on log files are transmitted only to evaluate the use of our website and tailor it to meet user’s needs (see “web analysis” below), and only when required by law, or if attacks on the federal communications technology system make it necessary to forward such data for purposes of legal action or criminal prosecution. Data will not be transferred for any other reason. The ministry does not compile these data with data from other sources.

Cookies

A cookie is a short entry in a specific data file on your computer. Its purpose is to facilitate the exchange of information between computer programmes or the archiving of information for a limited period of time. Cookies cannot execute programmes or plant viruses on your computer. Their purpose is to make the website more user-friendly and effective.

When visiting our website, cookies will be stored on your computer. Article 6 (1) (e) EU GDPR, in conjunction with Section 3 Federal Data Protection Act, provides the legal basis for using cookies as part of the ministry's PR activities, which are designed to meet the demand for information about the ministry’s work; Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR provides the basis for using consent-related cookies.

The purpose of technically required cookies is to enable the use of the shopping basket. The user data collected by technically required cookies will not be used to create user profiles. The cookie for the shopping basket is set when the website is first loaded. It enables the storage of publications on offer in the shopping basket. Publications can only be ordered if this cookie is set.

Whenever a user accesses our website, a cookie is set. The purpose is to help prevent manipulation by third parties during your visit to the website, which might use so-called Cross-Site Request Forgery or CSRF attacks to manipulate i.a. your entries in forms.

You can adjust the settings on your browser so that cookies are only stored for the duration of the respective Internet session. You can also completely disable the storage of cookies in the browser settings. In this case, you might no longer be able to fully use all features our website offers.

Data transmission and activation of YouTube videos

Videos from the YouTube network (Google Inc.) are integrated on our website. When actively using these services, such as playing a video on the website, YouTube/Google Inc. processes, stores and uses the data of visitors to the BMEL website for its business purposes in accordance its data use policy. The BMEL has no influence on the collection of data. Here you can find Google's privacy policy and terms of use.

Web analysis

The BMEL uses the “Matomo” (formerly “PIWIK”) web analysis service for statistical analysis and to provide demand-oriented information. Matomo is an open source tool for web analysis. When visiting our website, Matomo is deactivated. We only collect information on your use of our website in anonymous form after you have actively consented (‘statistics’).

Matomo uses cookies, i.e. text files, which are stored on your computer and which enable the BMEL to analyse the use of its website. For this purpose, the usage information obtained by the cookie is transmitted and stored so that your user behaviour can be evaluated. It runs exclusively on the servers of our web provider Informationstechnikzentrum Bund (ITZBund). Your IP address will be abbreviated and then anonymised; you will thus remain an anonymous user. The usage information obtained by the cookie will not be passed on to a third party.

The exclusive purpose of this web analysis is to optimise our online presence. Your personal data will neither be analysed nor used for profiling or passed on to a third party.

You can decide whether a web analysis cookie may be stored in your browser to enable the ministry to collect and analyse statistical data.

Use of OpenStreetMap

We use a map excerpt from OpenStreetMap on our website to display maps with practical examples and funding projects as well as the route to the Ministry, making it easier for you to plan your journey.

OpenStreetMap is an open source mapping tool. In order for the map to be displayed, your IP address is forwarded to OpenStreetMap. You can see how OpenStreetMap stores your data here and here on the OpenStreetMap data protection page.

We base the use of the aforementioned tools on Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR: data processing is carried out to improve the user-friendliness of our website and is therefore in our legitimate interest.

Processing of personal data of those contacting the ministry

You can contact both the BMEL and the ministry’s Consumer Help Desk for food, agriculture and consumer health protection via the ministry's website. This service is operated by the Federal Office of Agriculture and Food (BLE) on behalf of the BMEL.

When you contact us, the personal data transmitted by you (e.g.: surname, first name, address, e-mail address), along with the information you transmit for the purpose of contacting us and processing your request, will be stored at the ministry in accordance with the time limits of the Registry Directive, which complements the Joint Rules of Procedure of the Federal Ministries (GGO).

Please note that the processing of this personal data is based on Article 6 (1) (e) EU GDPR in conjunction with Section 3 Federal Data Protection Act. Processing of the personal data provided by you is necessary for the purpose of processing your request.

If we receive a message via the contact form or an e-mail from you, we assume that we are entitled to reply by e-mail. Otherwise, please expressly point out to us another way of communication.

Processing of personal data as part of social media use

The ministry is active on Instagram, Threads, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky, LinkedIn and YouTube. We expressly point out that these networks store the personal data of their users (e.g. personal information, IP address etc.) in accordance with their data usage guidelines and use them for business purposes. The ministry has no influence on the collection and use of data by social networks. We are unable to ascertain the extent, the location and the duration of the data capture, the extent to which the networks meet obligations to delete data, what evaluations and links pertaining to the data are made, and to whom data are forwarded. Click here for the respective terms of use of the networks:

• Instagram terms of use
• Threads terms of use
• X terms of use
• Bluesky terms of use
• LinkedIn terms of use
• Youtube terms of use

Processing of personal data in the context of provision of information

Use of the order function

If you would like to order a publication or information material from us, it is necessary for you to provide us with the personal data we need to process the order.
The mandatory details required for processing are marked separately, further details are voluntary. The following details are required in all cases: name, address (street and house number, postcode and city) and a valid e-mail address. We transmit the personal data to our sales service provider IBRo Versandservice GmbH, Kastanienweg 1, 18184 Roggentin.

The legal basis for the processing and transmission of your personal data in relation to orders is Article 6(1)(a) EU GDPR. Your personal data will be deleted as soon as they are no longer needed for processing.

Press service and press releases

In a newsletter function, we offer a , with which you can inform yourself about current developments. The e-mail address is mandatory to use the press service, and the e-mail address and the name of the editorial office or company are mandatory to have the press releases sent. Your personal data will not be transmitted to third parties.

You can cancel the press service and/or press releases at any time. Your personal data will then be deleted immediately.

Visitors

The BMEL regularly receives groups for information visits and individual visitors on specific occasions. In order to be able to grant them access to the BMEL premises, the BMEL must, for security reasons, collect the first and last names of participants in advance of the appointment in order to fulfil its duties under Article 6 (1) (e) EU GDPR in conjunction with Section 3 Federal Data Protection Act.

Other personal data, such as institution, type of school, class level, association or mobility restrictions, serve to better prepare for the visit to the BMEL and are optional. By providing this personal data, visitors consent to its processing for the aforementioned purpose. The processing of this data is based on your consent in accordance with Article 6 (1) (a) EU GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time by sending an e-mail to Besucherdienst@bmel.bund.de. The lawfulness of the processing based on your consent remains unaffected until receipt of your revocation.

CCTV

The ministry properties are monitored with video surveillance systems in outdoor areas in order to safeguard the householder's rights and for the purposes of averting danger and criminal prosecution. The data collected are processed on the basis of Article 6 (1) sentence 1 (f) GDPR in conjunction with Section 4 Federal Data Protection Act. The image recording is permanently (24/7) automated. The video stream (video image without sound, recording time) is stored on internal file servers with specific access restrictions for a maximum of 3 days at the Bonn office and a maximum of 5 days at the Berlin Office. After this period, the recorded material will be deleted completely. Data will only be stored for longer if this is necessary for the enforcement of legal claims or the prosecution of criminal offences in specific individual cases. The collected data will only be transmitted to criminal investigation authorities if this is requested in the context of a justified police measure or by judicial order for the above-mentioned purposes.

Your rights

You have the following rights vis-à-vis the BMEL with regard to the personal data concerning your person:

• Right of access, Article 15 EU GDPR and Section 34 BDSG: The right of access confers on data subjects a comprehensive right of access to the data concerning their person and to certain important information-related criteria, such as the purposes for which it is processed or the duration for which it will be stored. The exceptions to this right regulated in Section 34 Federal Data Protection Act apply.
• Right to rectification, Art. 16 EU GDPR: The right of rectification includes the possibility for data subjects to have inaccurate personal data corrected.
• Right to erasure, Art. 17 EU GDPR and Section 35 BDSG: The right to erasure includes the possibility for data subjects to have data deleted by the party responsible. However, this is only possible if the personal data concerning their person is no longer needed, is processed unlawfully or if the relevant consent has been revoked. The exceptions to this right regulated in Section 35 Federal Data Protection Act apply.
• Right to restriction of processing, Article 18 EU GDPR: The right to restrict the processing includes the possibility for data subjects to prevent further processing of personal data concerning their person for the time being. A restriction particularly occurs pending verification of the exercise of other rights of the data subjects.
• Right to data portability, Article 20 EU GDPR: The right to data portability includes the possibility for data subjects to obtain the personal data concerning their person from the person responsible in a standard, machine-readable format, in order to be able to forward them to another person responsible if necessary. According to Article 20 (3) sentence 2 EU GDPR, however, this right does not apply if the data processing serves the performance of public tasks.
• Right to object to processing, Article 21 (1) EU GDPR and Section 36 BDSG: The right to object includes the possibility for data subjects to object, in a particular situation, to the further processing of their personal data, insofar as this is justified by the exercise of public functions or of public or private interests. The exceptions to this right regulated in Section 36 Federal Data Protection Act apply.
• Right to revoke consent: If personal data are processed on the basis of consent, data subjects may revoke such consent at any time for the purpose for which it was given. The lawfulness of the processing undertaken on the basis of this consent remains unaffected until receipt of the revocation.

You can assert the aforementioned rights in writing using the contact details set out in the section on 'Responsibility and Data Protection Officer'.

If you wish to lodge a complaint against the ministry’s processing of your data, you can appeal to the data protection supervisory authority: the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI). You can contact her using these details:

Contact details of the BfDI
Die Bundesbeauftragte für den 
Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit 
Graurheindorfer Str. 153
53117 Bonn
E-mail: poststelle@bfdi.bund.de

Released 19. Feb 2025 as article